Volunteers this month began planting trees on slopes on Mikurajima island, south of Tokyo, where landslides occurred when a typhoon struck the area five years ago. Volunteers with mountain-climbing experience used ropes to keep their footing when planting trees on the 40-degree slopes, which have not been restored because of the lack of other means of access.The volunteers so far have planted a total of 3,565 saplings that take root easily, including boxtree, as well as 3,955 Cogon grass seedlings.